At every Liturgy we pray for "the captives and their salvation". This is not a theoretical scenario for me. I visit people who have broken no laws yet have been imprisoned here in Australia for years because they sought asylum as refugees in Australia. Today, the seventh person I knew personally in "immigration detention" in Australia committed suicide. He was 19 years old. Please remember those in captivity in Australia's Immigration Detention Centres.

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If you're living a happy life as a Christian, you're doing something wrong.

Another refugee being held in the "Curtin" Immigration Detention Centre attempted suicide today by hanging himself from a tree. Thank God some other detainees were able to cut him down in time. He is a 26 year old Tamil from Sri Lanka.

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If you're living a happy life as a Christian, you're doing something wrong.

"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

Lord, have mercy on us for our inhumanity to our fellow humans. Let these wasteful deaths soften the hearts of those in control of this outrageous immigration situation, so that action is taken to change the laws and procedures that cause such terrible stress.

(Someone, somewhere, must see what they are doing and the blood that is on their hands.)

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I believe in One God, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

"This is the cross - to become dead to the whole world, to suffer sorrows, temptations and other passions of Christ; in bearing this cross with complete patience, we imitate Christ's passion and thus glorify our God the Father as His sons in grace and co-heirs of Christ." --St. Symeon the New Theologian